In recent strategy papers on 'Education in the digital world', the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and the KMK (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany) call for an expansion of communication and cooperation at all levels of the school community. In this context, digitalisation is regarded as having the potential to enhance the dissemination of information and collaboration between teachers and parents, thereby promoting increased involvement in school life (e.g. KMK, 2016, 9). Empirical testing is required to validate these claims, but the high expectations associated with digital communication in the school context are evident (Bastian & Prasse, 2021, Olmstead 2012). Recent research suggests that communication practices in schools are changing in the context of increasing digitalisation (Krein, 2023). For example, planning processes are increasingly taking place via email, while other communication channels are declining in importance (Heffernan & Selwyn, 2021; Tulowitzki & Gerick, 2020). The utilisation of digital media for the purpose of facilitating parent-teacher communication is on the rise (Grow, 2021; Kuusimäki, Uusitalo-Malmivaara & Tirri, 2019; Blau & Hameiri, 2017). Nevertheless, a considerable number of parents and teachers continue to demonstrate reluctance in utilising such media for the purpose of enhancing two-way pedagogical communication between parents and teachers (Bordalba & Bochaca 2019). While digital communication is regarded as advantageous for collaboration and participation, it is also perceived as a burden, for instance due to the expectation of constant availability (Heffernan & Selwyn, 2021; Tulowitzki & Gerick, 2020). Research in this area is still in its infancy in German-speaking countries. Crucial inquiries into the function of digital media in communication and cooperation processes between home and school, the present distribution and utilisation of digital technologies, and the resultant shifts in cooperation between home and school remain unanswered in a comprehensive manner. 

The aim of the present systematic review is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the international research situation (2008-2024) on digital communication between home and school by synthesising empirical research data. A systematic literature review covers the international empirical research situation on the aforementioned questions in the period 2008-2024 and identifies key areas of research, attitudes and consequences of digitally mediated communication between home and school. The findings of this study will serve as a valuable source of information to inform the development of educational institutions within the German educational context. This systematic review synthesises the available empirical research base on the topic for the period 2008-2024. The aim is to provide answers to the following questions: (1) What are the main areas of research on digital home-school communication and collaboration? (2) What is the empirical evidence on parents' and teachers' perceptions of digital media for home-school communication and collaboration? (3) What does the extant evidence suggest about the use of digital media by parents and teachers for home-school communication and collaboration? (4) What does empirical evidence suggest about the outcomes of digital home-school communication and collaboration?

As part of the systematic review (Zawacki-Richter, Kerres, Bedenlier, Bond & Buntins, 2020), the ERIC, PsycInfo, Psyndex, Web of Science, ACM Digital Library and Scopus databases formed the basis of the search process. To identify relevant studies, a search string was developed using the keywords parent, teacher, communication/collaboration, digital media and their respective synonyms to identify all relevant publications. We systematically developed the following a priori inclusion criteria about which studies will be integrated into this review and hereby make them transparent: We included empirical studies that specify parents' and/or teachers' beliefs and/or experiences with digital media for home-school communication, have measurable outcomes, refer to school types K-12 (but not kindergarten; not special education), were published in the years between 2008 and 2024, and are publication types such as professional journals, grey literature (no short papers, no posters). The title, abstract, keywords and headings were included in the first screening round. Only studies that met the selection criteria were selected. Full text versions were retrieved using the above selection criteria and assessed for eligibility. Screening of the 27,426 search results by two independent reviewers and a detailed quality assessment resulted in the inclusion of 89 methodologically adequate studies (Haddaway, Page, Pritchard & McGuinness, (2022). The studies were analysed by EPPI reviewer. The included studies (n=89) were analysed according to the following categories, among others Country, Year of Publication, Method, Type of School, Aim of the Study, Theoretical Conceptual Background, Way of Communication, Difficulties and obstacles, and changes in the use of digital communication. In addition, the following can be deduced from the data: (1) central fields of research, (2) beliefs of parents and teachers towards digitally mediated communication and (3) empirical results on the use of digitally mediated communication between home and school.

Recent research suggests that communication practices in schools are undergoing change in the context of increasing digitalisation, particularly in the international field (Krein 2022). It has been shown that planning processes are increasingly taking place via e-mail, while other communication channels are declining in importance (see e.g. Heffernan & Selwyn 2021; Tulowitzki & Gerick 2020). On the one hand, digital communication is seen as facilitating collaboration and participation, but on the other hand it is also perceived as a burden, for example due to the expectation of constant availability (ibid.). Research in this field is still in its infancy in German-speaking countries. Significant questions concerning the role of digital media in communication and cooperation processes between home and school, the current distribution and use of digital technologies, and the resulting changes in cooperation between home and school remain unanswered. The primary objective of the LeadCom project is twofold: firstly, to utilise the findings to formulate guidelines for school development in the German-speaking context and secondly, to develop a support and funding system. This is done on the basis of the international state of research, which was compiled as part of a systematic review of digitally mediated communication between family and school. Training and support measures are being (further) developed as part of the BMBF LeadCom network in Germany. Specifically, within the context of digitally mediated communication between home and school, the following training materials are currently being developed: (1) a kit for digital communication concepts for schools, and (2) training materials on the conditions for success and the opportunities and challenges of digitally mediated communication between schools and parents.

Bastian, J., & Prasse, D. (2021). Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit zwischen Elternhaus und Schule mit digitalen Medien: Forschungsstand und Forschungsagenda. MedienPädagogik, 42, 349–379. https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/42/2021.12.16.X Blau, I., & Hameiri, M. (2017). Ubiquitous mobile educational data management by teachers, students and parents: Does technology change school-family communication and parental involvement? Education and Information Technologies, 22(3), 1231–1247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-016-9487-8 Bordalba, M. M., & Bochaca, J. G. (2019). Digital media for family-school communication? Parents' and teachers' beliefs. Computers & Education, 132, 44–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.01.006 Haddaway, N. R., Page, M. J., Pritchard, C. C., & McGuinness, L. A. (2022). PRISMA2020: An R package and Shiny app for producing PRISMA 2020-compliant flow diagrams, with interactivity for optimised digital transparency and open synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18, e1230. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1230 Heffernan, A., & Selwyn, N. (2021). Mixed messages: The enduring significance of email in school principals’ work. The Australian Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00486-0 Grow, L. (2021). Digital parent-teacher communication: The effectiveness of using technology to facilitate parent-teacher communication and its impact on parent involvement (Doctoral dissertation). Milligan University. Krein, U. (2023). What’s your take on school leadership and digitalization? A systematic review of publications from the last 20 years. International Journal of Leadership in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2023.2237939 Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK). (2016). Bildung in der digitalen Welt: Strategie der Kultusministerkonferenz. https://www.kmk.org/fileadmin/Dateien/pdf/PresseUndAktuelles/2016/Bildung_digitale_Welt.pdf Kuusimäki, A.-M., Uusitalo-Malmivaara, L., & Tirri, K. (2019). Parents' and teachers' views on digital communication in Finland. Education Research International, 2019, Article 8236786. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/8236786 Olmstead, C. (2012). Using technology to increase parent involvement. California State University, Fullerton. Tulowitzki, P., & Gerick, J. (2020). Schulleitung in der digitalisierten Welt: Empirische Befunde zum Schulmanagement. Die Deutsche Schule, 112(3), 324–337. Zawacki-Richter, O., Kerres, M., Bedenlier, S., Bond, M., & Buntins, K. (Eds.). (2020). Systematic reviews in educational research: Methodology, perspectives and application. Springer VS.